The present invention generally relates to authentication apparatuses, user authentication methods, user authentication cards and storage mediums, and more particularly to an authentication apparatus, a user authentication method for an authentication apparatus, a user authentication card, and a storage medium storing a program for user authentication.
Conventionally, the security function provided in a personal computer (PC) generally carries out the authentication by inputting a password or a user identification (ID) from a keyboard. According to this conventional method, the password or user ID defined by the user is made secret to a third party, and various accesses are started and carried out responsive to the authentication made with respect to an input made from a screen of the personal computer or the like.
However, if the password or the user ID, which is a string of characters or numbers, becomes known to the third party, the authentication may easily be given to the third party, and there was a problem in that the reliability of the security provided may not be sufficiently high.
In order to solve these problems of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to improve the reliability of the security by use of a key peculiar to the user and to carry out an authentication with a high security in a simple manner by carrying a card set with the key, by carrying out the authentication by collating with registered coordinate patterns or the like a coordinate pattern input from a tablet or a touch panel of an apparatus which is capable of detecting coordinates such as a pen input type personal computer (pen PC) and an apparatus having the tablet or, a coordinate pattern which is input from holes or openings, cutouts and marks of the card.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and useful authentication apparatus, user authentication method, user authentication card and storage medium, in which the problems described above are eliminated.
Another and more specific object of the present invention is to provide an authentication apparatus comprising detecting means for detecting coordinates input from a coordinate detector via a member which specifies a plurality of discontinuous different coordinates, comparing means for comparing the detected coordinates and a plurality of registered coordinates, and authentication means for carrying out an authentication based on a compared result. Since the present invention makes the authentication by collating the coordinate pattern which is input via the holes, cutouts or the like of the member such as a card and the registered coordinate pattern, it is possible to improve the reliability of the security by use of a key unique to the user. In addition, the security with the high reliability can be achieved simply by a portable member such as a card set with the key.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an authentication apparatus comprising detecting means for detecting coordinates input from a coordinate detector by a pen via a member which specifies a plurality of discontinuous different coordinates, comparing means for comparing the detected coordinates and a plurality of registered coordinates, and authentication means for carrying out an authentication based on a compared result. Since. the present invention makes the authentication by collating the coordinate pattern which is input via the holes, cutouts or the like of the member such as a card and the registered coordinate pattern, it is possible to improve the reliability of the security by use of a key unique to the user. In addition, the security with the high reliability can be achieved simply by a portable member such as a card set with the key.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a user authentication method comprising a detecting step detecting coordinates input from a coordinate detector via a member which specifies a plurality of discontinuous different coordinates, a comparing step comparing the detected coordinates and a plurality of registered coordinates, and an authentication step carrying out an authentication based on a compared result. Since the present invention makes the authentication by collating the coordinate pattern which is input via the holes, cutouts or the like of the member such as a card and the registered coordinate pattern, it is possible to improve the reliability of the security by use of a key unique to the user. In addition, the security with the high reliability can be achieved simply by a portable member such as a card set with the key.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a user authentication method comprising a detecting step detecting coordinates input from a coordinate detector by a pen via a member which specifies a plurality of discontinuous different coordinates, a comparing step comparing the detected coordinates and a plurality of registered coordinates, and an authentication step carrying out an authentication based on a compared result. Since the present invention makes the authentication by collating the coordinate pattern which is input via the holes, cutouts or the like of the member such as a card and the registered coordinate pattern, it is possible to improve the reliability of the security by use of a key unique to the user. In addition, the security with the high reliability can be achieved simply by a portable member such as a card set with the key.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a user authentication card which is placed on a coordinate detector when making an input for user authentication, comprising a plurality of perforated parts, where each of perforated parts removed by punching forms a hole which is used when making an input to the coordinate detector. Since the present invention makes the authentication by collating the coordinate pattern which is input via the holes, cutouts or the like of the member such as a card and the registered coordinate pattern, it is possible to improve the reliability of the security by use of a key unique to the user. In addition, the security with the high reliability can be achieved simply by a portable member such as a card set with the key.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a computer readable storage medium storing a program for making a computer detect coordinates, comprising detecting means for making the computer detect coordinates input from a coordinate detector via a member which specifies a plurality of discontinuous different coordinates, comparing means for making the computer compare the detected coordinates and a plurality of registered coordinates, and authentication means for making the computer carry out an authentication based on a compared result. Since the present invention makes the authentication by collating the coordinate pattern which is input via the holes, cutouts or the like of the member such as a card and the registered coordinate pattern, it is possible to improve the reliability of the security by use of a key unique to the user. In addition, the security with the high reliability can be achieved simply by a portable member such as a card set with the key.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer readable storage medium storing a program for making a computer detect coordinates, comprising detecting means for making the computer detect coordinates input from a coordinate detector by a pen via a member which specifies a plurality of discontinuous different coordinates, comparing means for making the computer compare the detected coordinates and a plurality of registered coordinates, and authentication means for making the computer carry out an authentication based on a compared result. Since the present invention makes the authentication by collating the coordinate pattern which is input via the holes, cutouts or the like of the member such as a card and the registered coordinate pattern, it is possible to improve the reliability of the security by use of a key unique to the user. In addition, the security with the high reliability can be achieved simply by a portable member such as a card set with the key.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an authentication apparatus comprising detecting means for detecting coordinates input by a member having a plurality of projections, comparing means for comparing the detected coordinates and registered coordinates, and authentication means for carrying out an authentication based on a compared result. Since the present invention makes the authentication by collating the coordinate pattern which is input via the holes, cutouts or the like of the member such as a card and the registered coordinate pattern, it is possible to improve the reliability of the security by use of a key unique to the user. In addition, the security with the high reliability can be achieved simply by a portable member such as a card set with the key.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a user authentication method comprising a detecting step detecting coordinates input by a member having a plurality of projections, a comparing step comparing the detected coordinates and registered coordinates, and an authentication step carrying out an authentication based on a compared result. Since the present invention makes the authentication by collating the coordinate pattern which is input via the holes, cutouts or the like of the member such as a card and the registered coordinate pattern, it is possible to improve the reliability of the security by use of a key unique to the user. In addition, the security with the high reliability can be achieved simply by a portable member such as a card set with the key.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a computer readable storage medium storing a program for making a computer detect coordinates, comprising detecting means for making the computer detect coordinates input by a member having a plurality of projections, comparing means for making the computer compare the detected coordinates and registered coordinates, and authentication means for making the computer carry out an authentication based on a compared result. Since the present invention makes the authentication by collating the coordinate pattern which is input via the holes, cutouts or the like of the member such as a card and the registered coordinate pattern, it is possible to improve the reliability of the security by use of a key unique to the user. In addition, the security with the high reliability can be achieved simply by a portable member such as a card set with the key.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.